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From the Devil’s Lettuce to the Dropout Drug: The Evolution of Reefer Madness Propaganda

From the Devil’s Lettuce to the Dropout Drug: The Evolution of Reefer Madness Propaganda

BY SABRINA FENDRICK ON AUGUST 21, 2014

For nearly three-quarters of a century, the government has been espousing reefer madness rhetoric, associating the myth with everything from rape to heroin to brain damage. Despite their consistently inconsistent fear-based propaganda, more than half the country now supports a policy that legalizes the retail use of marijuana for adults aged 21 and over.

However, even though more Americans are turning away from an abstinence only, zero-tolerance policy, the government remains a staunch supporter of the status quo. The only thing the powers-that-be seem capable of evolving on is their reason why–which just so happens to coincide with the progression of our society’s understanding of the plant. In simpler terms, the Government simply adjusts the talking points when Americans stop buying their exaggerated claims.